1
as in wicked
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
the children had been so mischievous that we had to pay the babysitter extra and then clean up the mess
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in naughty
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior
punished for their mischievous tricks on the neighbors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dangerous
causing or capable of causing harm
mischievous gossip that ruined a good teacher's reputation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mischievous
Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard brilliantly played the mischievous 6-year-old, supported by seven expressive vocalists, two choirs, and the ever-nimble orchestra.
—
Beth Wood, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
The series is moored by the performance of Kim Min-ha, who is believable both as mischievous teen Hee-wan, and deeply depressed young adult Hee-wan.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 18 Dec. 2025
Beyond his extraordinary talent, Antony was mischievous and witty, with a wicked sense of humor.
—Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 17 Dec. 2025
Here's what else Martin had to say about the mischievous raccoon.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 13 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mischievous
Beth Wood, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
The series is moored by the performance of Kim Min-ha, who is believable both as mischievous teen Hee-wan, and deeply depressed young adult Hee-wan.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 18 Dec. 2025
Beyond his extraordinary talent, Antony was mischievous and witty, with a wicked sense of humor.
—Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 17 Dec. 2025
Here's what else Martin had to say about the mischievous raccoon.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 13 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mischievous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mischievous
Adjective
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Park Chan-wook’s latest masterwork is a wicked comedy of capitalism and homicide.—
Ty Burr,
Washington Post,
8 Jan. 2026
-
So much so that a few of the most popular colorways sold out wicked fast.—
Ruby McAuliffe,
InStyle,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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More like raw, bold, and sometimes a little naughty.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
15 Jan. 2026
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Likewise, Alexander’s Hannah is the naughty girl who deserves to be punished for rudely moving in on Lucy’s crush, Nick (Benjamin Cheng).—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Placing your carbon monoxide detector in the proper location can alert you to dangerous levels of the invisible gas, which is unfortunately more likely to occur with the use of personal space heaters.—
Shivani Vyas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2026
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The Charlotte region faces a harsh night on Thursday, including dangerous wind chills, according to the National Weather Service.—
Mark Price
January 13,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Hudson’s performance kicks into a surprising dramatic gear, the actress’s playful Milwaukee accent settling into a relatively somber key, grappling with dreams dashed.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Jan. 2026
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From minimalist finishes to playful graphics and elevated textures, these manicures set the tone for the year ahead, proving that short nails aren’t a fallback—they’re the focus.—
Kat Suico,
InStyle,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Now, but as the statistics and figures come in here in Minneapolis, there's double-digit drops in crime, coupled with a lot of bad people and bad things being taken off of your streets.—
Esme Murphy,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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Under President Biden, the FTC and DOJ slowed large transactions, suggesting that all big businesses were bad businesses.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Some harmful varieties closely resemble edible mushrooms, even to experienced foragers.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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On each phone, the lock screen image was a photo of a child who died young due to the harmful effects of social media.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The disjunction between the abstract composition and the notion of self-portraiture appeared perplexing in its own right; its inoperability only exacerbated the viewer’s frustration and redoubled the artist’s impish provocation.—
Ara H. Merjian,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
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For production designer Cara Brower, the assignment wasn’t about designing sets that were perfect historical recreations, but revealing a perfect window into Hedda’s (Tessa Thompson) impish tastes and proclivities.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
19 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Public systems can be somewhat risk adverse.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Nekrasov said adverse weather conditions also left parts of several other regions without power, including Chernihiv, Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattia.—
Ashley Carnahan,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Video
'Mispronunciations' That May Be Fine
'Mischievous,' 'nuclear,' and other words to pronounce with caution.
Cite this Entry
“Mischievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mischievous. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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